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User Reviews for: Luca

AndrewBloom
CONTAINS SPOILERS8/10  3 years ago
[7.5/10] No full review for this one, since I was helping to wrangle a toddler while watching it, but I liked it! It’s certainly one of the most conventional Pixar film’s there’s been. The whole thing leads to a big race featuring our literally-titled underdog protagonist against a cartoonish jerk of villain, to the point that this could be a 1980s sports movie. But it’s cute, and more to the point, the emotions land, which is the biggest thing I ask for from these types of films.

Despite the protestations of the director, it’s hard not to read the film as an LGBT allegory. Little Luca dreams of exploring other worlds, but his family and friends are worried that he won’t be accepted for who he is given his hidden identity. But he meets someone without those connections who’s ready to test the waters (er, the land) and make their way in a different community together, managing to pass despite a few hiccups. The way the journey and new friends lead to jealousy, turning on one’s own, and ultimately self-acceptance and communal understanding, plays as heartening and real. Whether or not the creative team wants to acknowledge it, the subtext of all of this gives the film a real resonance, and boosts it above its very basic storytelling roots.

The animation is quite nice to look at, with an almost Rankin Bass approach to the look and movements of the characters, and the natural colorful beauty of an imagined beachside Italian town. Beyond the traditionalness of the tale, the only real anchor holding this one back is the villain, a cheese-stuffed meatball of an antagonist who has no depth or inner life beyond the “jerk jock” archetype. But Luca’s relationship with his best friends and his family, Alberto struggling with the sense of losing someone close yet again until finding a surrogate father, and Giulia’s pluck and understanding all make the heart of this one sound as a pound.

*Luca* doesn’t exactly break new ground for Pixar (though by making a few things more explicit than hinted at, it could have been), but what it does, it does well, and makes for an endearing little tale.
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CinemaSerf
/10  8 months ago
This is quite a fun tale that sees the eponymous young lad make friends with a sea creature "Alberto" who is disguised as a boy. Life on the Italian Riviera is pretty much all it's cracked up to be for these friends. They do the odd bit of fishing but for the most part it's pasta for breakfast, lunch and dinner interspersed with loads of gelato and fun on the moped. What "Luca" isn't quite prepared for, though, is discovering the true identity of his new friend - nor is he without his own secrets to keep, either! Unsurprisingly, that puts a bit of a strain on things - testing their friendship, loyalty and, ultimately, their priorities. Now of course there's no jeopardy here, but the characterisations are quirkily constructed and there's just a soupçon of teenage romance (with "Giulia") as these two boys become inseparable and build what we hope is a relationship robust enough to survive whatever society throws at them. There are some entertaining supporting roles - the one-armed fisherman uncle and his parents add a richness to the story that is, admittedly, a bit slow off the mark - but it is still one of this studio's more enjoyable family experiences with a message of perseverance and acceptability that is delivered, not laboured. Derivative? Well, yes - it does remind you of quite a few other maritime magical stories, but it's still got enough originality to make it worth a watch.
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garethmb
/10  3 years ago
The artists at Disney and Pixar have returned with a new animated film “Luca” which will debut on Disney+ on June 18th.

The film introduces audiences to Luca (Jacob Tremblay); a young Sea Monster who lives with his family and fellow fish off the coast of a small town in Italy. Luca is warned not to go on the surface and to avoid humans at all costs by his parents.

When a rebellious Sea Monster named Alberto (Jack Dylan Grazer); happens upon Luca and gets him to the surface; Luca discovers that he and Alberto appear as human boys when their skin is no longer wet.

Fascinated by the rebellious life Alberto leads and amazed by what he sees upon his brief land excursions; Luca looks for new ways to find time on the surface which leads to him being more and more deceptive to his parents.

In time Luca and Alberto head to the village and meet a spunky local girl named Giulia (Emma Berman); who is on a break from school and longs to win a local race in order to get back at the reigning champion and bully.

Luca and Alberto see the race as a chance to win money to buy their own Vespa which they see as the key to exploring the surface world which sets a chain of events into motion as their two worlds are about to collide leading up to the race.

The film is visually appealing, but the story for me dragged and did not have the spark and heart that have made countless PIXAR films enduring classics. While the characters were fine; they did not have the appeal or charisma that I have come to expect with the PIXAR brand.

There have been reports that after “SOUL” was moved from a theatrical release to streaming during the Pandemic that some at PIXAR were upset with the decision to make “Luca” a streaming option. My take is that it was 100% the correct decision as while it is an entertaining film; it is not one that is likely to light up the Box Office and is better suited for a streaming debut.

The biggest issue with “Luca” is that coming from a studio with such a long line of classics; it fails to reach the levels previously set and while entertaining comes up lacking.

3 stars out of 5
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msbreviews
/10  3 years ago
FULL SPOILER-FREE REVIEW @ https://www.msbreviews.com/movie-reviews/luca-spoiler-free-review

"Luca follows the studio's formulas of success closely without taking any unique detours, but it still tells a compelling story with relatable characters that gets to the viewers' heartstrings. From the detailed animation that makes the Italian coast look realistically astonishing to Dan Romer's rich score that hits all the right notes, without forgetting the outstanding voice work, every Pixar's trademark technical attribute is present in an admittedly less complex, unsurprising narrative. Enrico Casarosa takes Jesse Andrews and Mike Jones' light screenplay through a generic structure, where the "feeling/being different" theme is efficiently developed but closed in an underwhelming manner. Nevertheless, predictability means nothing in a movie where fully-developed characters spend the summer creating genuine friendships with an impactful emotional weight that might induce a couple of tears in the last few powerful minutes. It's not my favorite Pixar flick, but it's definitely a good film that I wholeheartedly recommend watching."

Rating: B
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Kamurai
/10  3 years ago
Really good watch, could watch again, and can recommend.

This is full of fun and child-like wonder, with a surprising edge to it as there is an usual amount of violence directly related to the main characters.

This has a very wholesome feel to it as it has the romantic aspect of searching for new frontiers and adventures, but not necessarily for romantic relationships.

The story does a good job of pacing out the events of the movie allowing for each aspect to take the focus it needs.

While this is a movie about a triatholon, it's a better story about freedom and acceptance.
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